I've lived in IPS District 3 for twenty years. I've raised a family here and built a business here. I care deeply about my community and recognize IPS is at a crossroads and accordingly so is our city. It is important for those who can to step up and try to bring positive change. I have a BSPA in Public Policy from Indiana University and a JD from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. I'm also the parent of a CFI 70 alum.
A stable school district makes quality teachers stay. We need to reach financial stability so our teachers know there's not another round of layoffs around the corner.
The first thing I would do as a board member is to reinstate protections against government agencies (specifically ICE) executing warrantless searches on our students. With the slightest bit of pressure from Todd Rokita, the Board folded on this earlier this year. If we can't stand up for our kids against ICE, how can they believe we'll stand up for them at all.
The guiding principal should be protect spending in the classroom. IPS suffers administrative bloat, like many educational organizations. There's plenty to cut without making major changes to the student experience. We should work with IPEC to reevaluate our facilities and determine how to lower capital costs which do not benefit the school system.
Honestly, I'm not sure it is productive to argue about charter schools at this point. The IPS school board does not have authority over charters and it is highly unlikely that is changing anytime soon. As a member of the board, my role will be to support IPS and promote education in traditional public schools. We spend too much time arguing about what we can't change of the board and far too little time discussing what we can change.
I do not have any professional or financial connections to an educational organization, charter or otherwise. Nor do any family members. My mother was a teacher for forty years, but she has retired. My only interest in serving on the Board is supporting students and our city.
I have lived my entire life in IPS and attended IPS schools. I also built a career working to improve education in our state, including roles at the Indiana Dept of Ed, policy organizations and philanthropy. Today, IPS is at a critical crossroad. Declining enrollment. Poor academic results. Financial strains. And a new governance structure. So I could think of no better way of using 40+ years of experience and professional networks than helping to improve the schools where it all started for me.
IPS will attract and retain more teachers with a disciplined school environment, reduced bureaucracy, improved autonomy and higher pay. I hear far too often from teachers about tedious reporting requirements, frantic professional development plans and other management practices that are not supportive. These are things that can be improved – along with driving far more funding to teacher salaries and direct classroom expenses.
Safety and well-being should be minimum expectations; but we know from the start of Broad Ripple MS two years ago, along with various transportation stories during the ILEA hearings, that this expectation is not always met. These expectations are, first and foremost, the responsibility of school staff; but the board must assure the necessary resources for those roles, then listen to parents and hold leadership accountable when expectations fall short.
First and foremost, we need better transparency. IPS spends over $22,000 per student, but most people think it is far less and very few people have any idea where that money goes. I have spent over 30 years working on school funding issues and I will be relentless in identifying where those funds are spent, sharing that information with teachers and our community, and assuring that our top funding priority is teachers and their classrooms.
I helped pass and implement our state’s charter school law and I am proud of the results that they have gotten, especially with poor and minority students. IPS could do better by learning from those schools, maybe even partnering with them. That will begin, to a significant degree, under the new IPEC leadership (including transportation, facilities and enrollment). But IPS needs to partner with this new structure, not create barriers as they have done recently with the Enroll Indy fiasco.
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Secondary Phone
6464642993
I have spent most of my career in Indianapolis serving some of our most vulnerable families and children. Education has always been the right and best path to changing the trajectory of a life and lineage. Our children deserve a public education that allows them to access the best future they can imagine for themselves. Our parents deserve a coherent and effective system by which to access this right for their children. My qualifications include currently serving as an elected IPS board member.
I believe we can best recruit and retain quality teachers by providing them high quality salaries and high quality ongoing training. I also believe that school culture that makes teachers feel valued and safe as individuals is import. It is imperative to not only recruit with these values, but to make these true for the already great teachers who are serving. When those teachers can speak highly of their value on the job, they will affirm that with others who have an interest in the school.
Regarding student safety and well-being, I believe the following must be true: strong leadership from the superintendent, aware and consistent leadership in the head of school office, honest assessment of school’s strengths and challenges. Challenges must be addressed transparently and without delay to build trust within the school community. Families and students must be engaged in regular communication with their school regarding school climate and safety.
I would prioritize budgeting that aligns with student needs. Line item’s that directly impact student outcomes in a positive direction would be most important.
Charter schools are a choice Indianapolis families can make within the public school sector. I believe that traditional and charter schools should be working together to lobby for state funding for special education and early childhood education. I believe we should also be sharing knowledge between public school type in order to close the gap for our students.
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Campaign Phone
917-858-4396
ZIP Code
46205
I’m running for the IPS Board because students should be at the center of every decision about public education. As an educator, I see both what is working and where we need to improve, especially literacy and student achievement. I attended public schools K through 12, earned degrees in Education Studies and Secondary Education, and have experience in family engagement and public policy through internships with the Indiana House Democratic Caucus and Congress.
We need to make teaching a career people want to stay in. That means competitive pay, strong benefits, manageable workloads, and real support for teachers. I also want educators to have a voice in decisions that affect their classrooms. Recruiting starts with showing people that IPS values its teachers. Retention comes from creating schools where teachers feel respected, supported, and able to do their best work.
Student safety starts with creating schools where students feel seen, respected, and supported. That means safe facilities, clear expectations, strong relationships between students and adults, and access to mental health and counseling support. We also need to listen to students and families when they raise concerns and address problems before they become bigger issues.
Budget decisions should start with the classroom. I would prioritize funding that directly supports student achievement, strong teachers, literacy, and safe schools. When resources are limited, we have to look closely at what is producing results and what is not. I would also push for transparency so families and taxpayers understand where their dollars are going and how those investments are helping students.
Charter schools are already part of public education in Indianapolis, and families choose them for different reasons. I’m not interested in pitting one type of public school against another. My focus is on students. If a school receives public dollars, families deserve transparency about how that money is spent and whether students are succeeding. We should hold all publicly funded schools to strong academic and financial standards while finding more ways to work together.
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